To cat, or not to cat, that is the question...

[Owlie]

naaah. Growing up in NJ we had lots of outdoor cats and plenty of skunks. Skunks are fearless small animals and most cats are way way way too smart to get involved with anyone who smells like that.

There are rare cases of skunk/ cat fights. the result is a very stinky cat.
PS in most situations, I agree that indoor cats is the best way to go.

OH OH and there is one very important OTHER reason for keeping cats. mice and rats do NOT like the smell of cats, and THEY will avoid your home.

Unless the mice have toxoplasmosis, of course.

I doubt skunks and raccoons wil eat cats--they're not food-sized. They will, however, get into fights with them and can be quite nasty. (Zoom-zoom, not the memes!)

[zoom-zoom]

Re: the indoor/outdoor debate. My best childhood kitty lost a hind leg to a neighbor dog and nearly bled to death where he'd gone under the deck to die while my parents were at work all day, then to choir practice in the evening. He was there at least 12 hours. In the dark. In shock. This dog had killed a $500 Siamese cat just months earlier and his a-hole owners let him off the lead near my folks' house, knowing full well that my family had 2 indoor/outdoor cats.

I will NEVER have a cat that goes outdoors. Not ever. Crap, 4 my strictly indoor cats are still battling fleas on a regular basis, since we have a yard full of squirrels and deer, so we end up bringing in fleas and eggs on our clothing and shoes. Tapeworm really sucks to deal with, too. Do you know how much it costs to treat 4 cats for fleas? Even buying topical Frontline or Advantage online is about $30/month for all 4.

The same cat who lost a leg also once brought in a still-living chipmunk and let it loose in the house. Who willingly puts themselves in that situation? Especially when a lot of these rodents are potentially carrying rabies. Ever gone through the treatment for a potential rabies bite? Me neither. Don't ever want to put myself in a situation to need to do so.

[tulip]

We'll just have to disagree on that one, zoom. I can't have cats anymore due to allergies, but if I could, I would have an indoor-only cat only if it was like Aggie's and had been declawed before I got it (I would not declaw a cat).

Tangentgirl, maybe you could try out this idea by fostering a cat on a temporary basis to see how you and your boyfriend like having one before you commit to a permanent cat. They are (usually) less work than a dog, but they are not as easy as a goldfish.

[tulip]

Or maybe look into a rabbit. They can be litterbox trained, they don't throw up, their food isn't stinky, and they are fuzzy and soft. I've heard they can be quite affectionate. Now a rabbit I would keep inside except for controlled and supervised hops around the yard. But they are prey animals, while cats are hunters. Totally different IMO.

[Crankin]

I am not an animal person, as you may have surmised, since I never comment on any of the animal threads. No one on either side of my family had pets and I am kind of scared of dogs.
After years of begging, we bought an Abyssinian cat when my kids were 10 and 12 (i.e. old enough to help in her care). We bought the cat from a breeder, who had to "check out" our qualifications, since I guess, this breed is somewhat rare. We got her when she was 4 months old. This was a perfect pet for my family, as she didn't require tons of work/care. We had the cat in 3 houses; the litter box was alternately in the bathroom or in this house, in the utility room, which is in the lower level. We used the Arm and Hammer odor control stuff with baking soda, as well as their litter and it generally worked well. We cleaned the box 1-2X a day. It got washed/scrubbed 1X a week. We used dry food for the very reason the OP stated. The look and smell of the wet food made all 4 of us gag and I nearly puked more than once when we bought the wet stuff. The vet never told us not to do this.
Our cat lived for 14 years and she was great for the kids. She came to the door when we came home from work and came when we called her. But, her health started failing, she wouldn't eat, and was having the usual urinary problems. I was not going to spend hundreds or thousands of dollars on a cat that was almost 15. It was sad when we had her put down, but in the end, we decided against another pet.
Both of my kids have cats, one of them has two cats. They very much treat them as their children, so I guess we made a good choice. But, in the end, I am still not an animal person.

[Brandi]

[QUOTE=KnottedYet;606113]The cat is going to do everything you don't want it to do.

It will puke on your bed, pee on the carpet, shred your couch, climb the blinds, fling kitty litter everywhere, yowl when you're trying to sleep, get hair on everything, smell, scratch you, eat rubber bands and choke and hack for hours.

Be ready.

Get the cat you fall in love with, and you won't mind all that.[/QUOTE I protest!
Ok so they might do some of these things but gosh you make it sound awful! I have indoor and outdoor cat's. They have to come in at night. They do get cat litter all over but a good mat and a dust buster work well. Also Fresh step is the best at keeping order's down. I know I have 3 cat's who when I travel stay in the house. Friends have commented on seeing the cat box but they don't smell it. Also I have cat scratcher's all over my house. It looks a little crazy all these scratcher's but my furniture is untouched! Lot's of toy's to play with helps. They love paper bags too. As far as letting them outside just wait at least till they are a year old. People have a tendency to take kittens. And yes spend time with the kitties then pick on lovability. I picked one on looks once and that was a mistake at the time. She has turned out to be a very good kitty. Took 12 years to bring her around though. Good luck! And go to shelter's please. Right now is a good time lot's of kitties from spring are needing home's.

[smilingcat]

If you don't have the time to train a young kitten, an adult cat is a very good way to go. Again ask the fosters about the cats personality and behavior. Some likes to sleep in your lap, others are aloof, some like to hide to go sleep, some like to be on the counter...

Many of the adult cats being fostered are with the foster for a prolonged time so much so that the most fosters are very aware of the cats behavior and personality.

A cat around year old and above will do. An older cat, 5-6 yrs old or more would more likely be laid back (sleeps more). Some cats will not bother the furniture, some cats will not bother jumping on the counter. Others will not stop.

You might be able to get a discount on an adult cat adoption. Just a reminder, many of the cat rescue group will require a home check. They are checking for draw strings on the blinds, no screen on windows, torn screen where the cat can get out, where you will be placing the litterbox, hazards for the cats, such as foyer where the cat can jump down from the second floor onto the first floor with tiles...

And be expect to pay around $120 for the adoption.

Considering what we spend on each cat, this isn't a bad deal. You know the cats personality before hand, he will be micro-chipped with AVID (Purrefect Partners). I'm not sure if Peggy and her group P.A.C.T. is doing this. They talked about it. The cat will be tested for FelV/FIV, will tell you if they are positive or not, fully vaccinated, spayed/neutered, kid friendly, other animal friendly, single cat only home.

If the cat had fleas, cat would have been treated with Revolution or other kinds of medication. In your area, Advantage does not work anymore. Frontline is not working all that well. So most are switching to Revolution. Lastly, you should get a copy of the cat's veterinary record and the name of the vet the cat sees.

Listen to what the foster has to say. But don't let them push you into a cat you are not that interested. It's perfectly okay if you don't like the looks of the cat. Get a cat you like and if you are happy with what the fosters tell you about the cats personality.

[Irulan]

Another vote for the indoors only argument, for all the safety reason cited so far. But also, for being a good neighbor. I've never understood the acceptability of cats roaming but not dogs. Even if an area has leash laws, cat owners seem to ignore it.

as for

Although I do not have any cats now, I had them for many years and all of my family still has them. They are all inside-outside cats. I think cats really benefit from being outside, particularly in gardens. There's nothing better than watching a contented cat in a garden! There are so many sensory experiences that they miss if always inside, particularly if the windows are never opened and the A/C or heat is always on. I find that sad.

There are great ways for cats to get the outdoors experience without turning them loose. One of my neighbors has her deck 100% fenced in so kitty can bask in the sun outdoors and watch the birds, with out being subject to cars, hunting down sparse birdlife, or roaming and pooping in my and other yards. I think it's a great compromise. This works well I think. Her kitty gets the outdoor experience with being a nuisance to the neigbors.

[zoom-zoom]

Another vote for the indoors only argument, for all the safety reason cited so far. But also, for being a good neighbor. I've never understood the acceptability of cats roaming but not dogs. Even if an area has leash laws, cat owners seem to ignore it.

+1. We get strays/outside cats who like to spray around OUR house or terrorize them through the windows...which makes OUR neutered cats want to retaliate to mark THEIR territory from within. Other people's cats become our nuisance. We've stepped in the crap of other people's pets, too, which is annoying as hell.

While I am not a fan of people who shoot roaming cats, I can see how those who are not fans of cats might do this. I don't ever want one of my furbabies to be a bother to anyone else OR risk being on the wrong end of a bullet.

[jahnin24f]

We had a very nice cat when I was in grade school. He was a week old kitten when my father brought him. Timely, our dog just give birth, so he was feed and grew up together with the puppies. And I never see them fighting aside from playful gesture. Like them Doogie was very playful and very funny.

We never had problems about smell. I didn't know where Doogie hide those. He is so good with rodents, although love chasing and killing mouse our cat never ate one.

I don't like cats-their fur and their smell. And Doogie was the only cat I am fond of.

[spokewench]

Doesn't matter if they eat them, or not...they will certainly kill them. Skunks are mean mofos. They are related to badgers and wolverines (honey badger, anyone? ). I wouldn't mess with a skunk and I weigh 150#s. My biggest cat is only about a tenth my size.

Oh come on people, cats are not stupid enough to go up against a skunk! Dogs, now that's a different story.

I have had three cats, all indoor outdoor. Two came from California where we had no skunks in our neighborhood so when we moved to Flagstaff, they both got skunked once and then never again. I used to see them walking down the sidewalk right next to the skunk and nothing ever happened between the skunk and the cat; let alone any eating of the other!

I have another cat now who adopted me and is an inside/outdoor cat and he has not trouble with either the numerous racoons or skunks in our neighborhood.

My cats have all been indoor/outdoor cats and have all lived to ripe old ages. I guess it depends on how smart they are?

[tangentgirl]

Thank you so much everyone. Very good ideas and things to ponder here. If I do take the plunge, I'll let you know and post a picture.

[Veronica]

Oh come on people, cats are not stupid enough to go up against a skunk!

I have another cat now who adopted me and is an inside/outdoor cat and he has not trouble with either the numerous racoons or skunks in our neighborhood.

My ferals step aside and watch the skunks and raccoons eat the cat food. Usually the cats just sit atop the barbeque cart while the wild critters feast.

Veronica

[Bethany1]

Cats are great. Bandit was rescued during a harsh winter a couple of years ago as a kitten. Buttons was a kitten at my mom's house and needed a home.

I hate to admit this but any animal smell. Someone brought up rabbits. NO. I've had rabbits and they stink so bad I wanted to puke. Yes, mine were litterbox trained but the smell was horrible. The require more care than I was able to give. I found a family that adopted them and it was best thing I ever did. Some people love rabbits. I don't and never will after my experience.

My litterboxes are in the kitchen. I keep mats outside the box for easy cleaning. Just keep up with the cleaning so the smell is contained. Once my kitten figured out the litterbox, I've never had problems with mine not using a litterbox.

Mine are indoor cats only, but Bandit will look for every opportunity to get the door. He just wants to eat grass and come back in to puke it up. They are safer inside.

Buttons isn't declawed and she picked my sewing chair to destroy. It's better than my expensive couches and when she's done with the chair I can buy another. They will need something to destroy with their claws and it's never the expensive clawing thing at the store.

I didn't know dry food was bad for cats.

Cats will play with anything. Mine love bags, boxes and sewing machine bobbins. They dump them in the tub and play "hockey" as they bat the bobbin around. Ping pong balls are another favorite.

Rescue cats are great and they need homes. And, gasp..sometimes two cats are better than one. They play with each other and keep you entertained with their antics. Sometimes rescue groups have cats that are so close together than they can't be separated and it's hard finding them homes. They also come spayed/neutered which also important.

Cats do indeed pick you. Take your time finding the one or two that pick you so you both enjoy each other's company. If you need some laughs, check out the thread on "Dear Cat".

[Aggie_Ama]

We do let Tortilla (our cat) out supervised in the backyard. She is actually very attached to the home and doesn't go far but does like the sunshine. We also leave the blinds up in the back of the house so she can sunbathe and watch the birds, this seems to make her quite content. She tried once to jump our fence (6 foot privacy) but didn't make it. Now we are careful to supervise her, of course if she is being stubborn our puppy will herd her in for us.

I think it depends on the cat the level of safety outdoors. My husband's stepmother lets hers outside and they have all lived long lives. They do live on a very quiet street, with a two acre lot and her cats always seem to stay close to home. They do have poisonous snakes and other dangerous wildlife but it has not thus far proved to be an issue. My street however is more of a through street for the neighborhood with people often speeding, so I wouldn't feel safe having Tortilla out if she wasn't declawed.

I agree with Irulan, I actually get quite annoyed with roaming animals even though I am an animal nut. The cats scare birds out of my bath, chase them from my tree and sometimes spray my flower bed (yuck smell). The dogs kill our toads in the yard but leave them, poop in the yard and run out in front of me on bike and car!

On the cat puking, Tortilla has not puked once in the two years we have had her. I think this is rare but I grew up with cats (long and short hair) and did not have them puking all the time. Tortilla is medium fur and doesn't have a hairball problem. Although she does shed a ton, get a lint roller!